Canadian Blood Services challenged two popular chefs to come up with meals that are chock full of iron. They’ve created recipes for simple-to-make gourmet fare that can help you donate blood and save lives.
IRONMAN (WOMAN) DIET CHALLENGE
You don’t have to don a power suit of armour or take part in an extreme triathlon to be an “Iron Man” in the eyes of Canadian Blood Services. All you have to do is pass a test of your hemoglobin level before donating blood, and you are on your way to saving lives.
Canadian Blood Services requires donors to have a minimum level of hemoglobin in their blood before they donate, to protect their health. That’s why nurses at blood donor clinics take a sample of blood with a finger pick. Low hemoglobin is usually due to low iron levels and is, in fact, the most common reason why people are unable to donate on a specific occasion.
Approximately five per cent of donors are temporarily deferred due to low hemoglobin. If the first finger pick test indicates significantly low levels of hemoglobin, the potential donor will not be able to donate that day. As well, the clinic nurse will do a second test and, depending on those results, may urge the donor to see his or her physician for further testing.
Iron deficiency is particularly common in women, who account for 92 per cent of deferrals due to low iron. Women require more iron than men, and they tend to consume less of it in their daily diets.
It’s not clear why, but hemoglobin deferrals peak in the summer months (May to August), which means turning away some willing donors at a critical time of the year; summer is a period when donations tend to decline.
Donors who do not meet the hemoglobin requirements for donation may be encouraged to add more iron-rich foods to their diet. Canadian Blood Services advises blood donors to build up their iron stores by eating red meat, dark poultry meat, fish and seafood, as well as such foods as dried peas and beans, dried fruit, iron-fortified cereal and dark green, leafy vegetables.
For most people, consuming an adequate amount of iron is good for your overall health, and iron-rich dishes can be great for the palate, too.
Canadian Blood Services challenged two popular chefs to come up with meals that are chock full of iron. They’ve created recipes for simple-to-make gourmet fare that can help you donate blood and save lives. Try out their recipes and vote for your favourite at blooddonorweek.ca.
---
TO READ THIS SPECIAL INFORMATION SUPPLEMENT AS IT APPEARED IN THE GLOBE AND MAIL, PLEASE CLICK THE ATTACHED PDF ABOVE FOR THE FULL REPORT>
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| cbsjune11.pdf | 383.14 KB |